Form 26 and the statutory mandate
The Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition by Meenakshi Natarajan challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination due to the non-disclosure of a criminal complaint. The case underscores the legal requirements for electoral candidates to disclose criminal antecedents under the Representation of the People Act.
Why it matters
It reinforces the judicial commitment to transparency and informed voting in the Indian electoral process.
On June 12, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan challenging the Returning Officer’s decision, rejecting her nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh. The Returning Officer held that Natarajan had failed to disclose, in her Form 26 affidavit, a pending criminal complaint against her and had thereby suppressed material information.
The criminal complaint, instituted in 2025, alleged that Natarajan failed to take appropriate action against a party leader accused of misconduct. The case raises important questions about the scope of the disclosure obligations imposed on electoral candidates and the constitutional remedies available when nomination papers are rejected.
Editorial | Lows of the land: On Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination
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